CD Projekt Red has recently released a new patch for The Witcher III: Wild Hunt. Patch 1.61 delivers high dynamic range (HDR) support for the game’s PS4 and PS4 Pro versions. However, gamers have reported that the patch actually causes certain elements of The Witcher III’s graphics to degrade.
Since the release of enhanced versions of The Witcher III for the Xbox One X and PS4 Pro, console users have been able to experience the 2015 title in all of its visual splendor. While this latest patch does offer improvements in some areas, it seems that another patch may be needed to fix a problem that it appears to have caused.
HDR Support & Draw Distances
On the whole, HDR support is a major boon for the game on the PS4 Pro. The enhancement puts the title on par with its Xbox One X counterpart. However, the change appears to have reduced draw distances for both shadows and foliage. This appears to be even more apparent in the game’s 4K mode. As a result, players have noticed both “popping in” as they traverse the world. Many gamers have already noticed the degradation, although CD Projekt Red has yet to comment on it.
Fortunately, most other graphical elements appear to have been unaffected. Shadows and foliage (and the shadows given off by foliage elements) appear to be the only area where degradation has occurred. At present it appears that the Xbox One version of the game has not suffered from the same problems. Given the specific nature of the issue, it’s unknown what may be causing it.
The rest of the patch appears to deliver what the patch notes claim. The game’s 4K frame rates have had slight improvements. Overall, the game’s fps appears to have improved by 2-3, although there are still drops at times. Support for 1080p can now be accessed through the game’s menu. Most gamers will probably see more improvements than not for The Witcher III’s graphics on the PS4 Pro, but hopefully CD Projekt Red becomes aware of this new issue and remedies it in a future patch.